Wade76/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Arizona reports
Fly fishing report · Southwest
Little Colorado River
Is Little Colorado River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Arizona before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 2.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
76
Good fishing based on the verified flow and weather. No official live water-temperature reading is available. Carry a thermometer during warm weather and stop if the water is stressful for trout.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 7:33 PM MSTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge76/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
Float76/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Your plan
Today's Little Colorado River plan.
This page covers the Greer area of the Little Colorado River, not the entire long river system downstream. The useful plan starts with the Greer gauge, current special rules, and whether the stream has enough cold water for careful trout fishing.
- Check first
- Use RiverReports and USGS 09383400 before driving to the Greer reach.
- Try
- Walk first and cast second. On skinny meadow water, one careless step can move every fish in the pool.
- Leave when
- Skip or scale back when the stream is very low and warm, monsoon storms are building, special-rule or fork boundaries are unclear, East Fork crossings are unsafe, or private-property access is uncertain.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 12 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 70°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 83.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 20%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 5 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Greer forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Little Colorado River at Greer
How to fish it
How to fish Little Colorado River today.
Expect small-water trout fishing where approach, shade, and water temperature matter more than long casts. The best windows are usually cool mornings, stable flows, and periods when trout can feed without being pushed by heat, skinny water, or runoff.
Very low and clear
Use longer leaders, small flies, and short careful casts. Skip obvious spawning or stressed fish and avoid walking through shallow holding water.
Stable cool flow
This is the best small-stream window. Fish dry-droppers, slim nymphs, and small dries through pools, riffle tails, and undercut banks.
After monsoon rain
Watch for quick color and flow changes. Fish soft edges only if safe, and avoid creek crossings when storms are nearby.
Warm afternoon
Carry a thermometer. If water feels warm or fish look stressed, stop trout fishing and use the time to scout access or fish a lake where legal.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Confluence
- A confluence is the place where two streams or rivers meet.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Why this call
Why this score
SeasonUse caution
Monsoon season: July and August can bring heavy rain.
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
FlowHelps
USGS shows 12 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1960-2025, 41 readings) show a typical middle range of 7 cfs to 17 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 70F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 83F. Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use the Greer gauge trend and water condition together. Stable, cool, clear flow is the best small-stream window. Very low, warm, rising, or stained water should move the day to a lighter plan, a lake, or another legal water.
Skip or scale back when the stream is very low and warm, monsoon storms are building, special-rule or fork boundaries are unclear, East Fork crossings are unsafe, or private-property access is uncertain.
Start around the Greer/River Reservoir area only where access is legal, then decide whether Rolfe C. Hoyer, East Fork Trail, or a nearby lake makes more sense after checking rules and flow.
If the Greer reach is too low, warm, stormy, or rule-limited, compare Black River, Canyon Creek, Lees Ferry, or nearby lakes only after checking current access and rules.
What to try
Little Colorado River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Spring
What to look forMidges, blue-winged olives, small mayflies
Early summer
What to look forCaddis, small mayflies, midges
SummerCurrent
What to look forTerrestrials, ants, beetles, grasshoppers, sporadic caddis
Flies to try
Also try dry-dropper attractors
Fall
What to look forBlue-winged olives, midges, small baitfish or sculpin opportunity
Cold or low water
What to look forMostly midges and small subsurface food
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Little Colorado River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Verify the current Arizona rules before fishing. Arizona's special fishing rule table lists the Little Colorado River (Greer), upstream of River Reservoir to the confluence of the East and West Forks, as catch-and-release only for trout with no trout kept. Artificial fly and lure only applies Oct. 1 through April 30, and general statewide rules apply May 1 through Sept. 30. The East Fork and South Fork Little Colorado entries have their own seasonal closures and single-pointed barbless-hook rules, so do not treat every fork the same.
Greer and River Reservoir area
The Greer reach and Greer Lakes area are the main practical base for this report. Confirm whether you are on public access before stepping off roads or campground areas.
Rolfe C. Hoyer Campground area
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest says Greer Lakes and the Little Colorado River are within walking distance of the campground.
Highway 261 to River Reservoir
Arizona conservation planning identifies this area as a coldwater sportfishery planning area with wild trout value.
East Fork Trail 95
The Forest Service says the trail immediately crosses the West Fork of the Little Colorado River and there is no bridge, so stream crossing conditions matter.
East Fork and South Fork planning areas
Useful for advanced trip planning, but both can carry special seasons, closures, and barbless-hook rules. Check the current rule table before fishing.
Greer has a mix of public land, campgrounds, cabins, roads, and private property. Use marked public access and do not assume every open-looking meadow is legal access.
The Forest Service notes heavy rain is common in July and August and that nighttime temperatures can be cool or cold. Pack layers even on a warm day.
East Fork Trail 95 includes an immediate stream crossing with no bridge. Skip that plan when flows, ice, or storms make the crossing unsafe.
Small streams show impact quickly. Stay on durable paths, avoid trampling banks, and keep fish wet during release.
For food, fuel, and basic supplies, Greer is the closest trip base, but remote forest roads still deserve a full tank and offline maps.
River sources
Official Little Colorado River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report is maintained from official flow, weather, Arizona special-regulation, Forest Service access, and conservation-planning sources, then converted into conservative small-stream fishability guidance.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 10 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Quick Little Colorado River answers.
Is the Little Colorado River near Greer good for fly fishing?
Yes, but it is a small, condition-sensitive trout stream. It is best when flows are stable, water is cold, and you use careful small-stream tactics instead of big-river methods.
What gauge should I check?
Use RiverReports for the quick Greer chart and USGS 09383400, Little Colorado River at Greer, for the official streamflow and gage-height data.
Can I keep trout?
Check the current Arizona rules before fishing. The special fishing rule table lists the Greer reach above River Reservoir to the East and West Fork confluence as catch-and-release only for trout.
What flies should I bring?
Bring small dries, caddis, blue-winged olives, terrestrials, zebra midges, pheasant tails, hare's ears, small perdigons, soft hackles, and a few mini streamers.